While Mainz 05 wants to continue to come from behind in the relegation battle of the Bundesliga, 1. FC Köln have almost everything on the line in a direct duel.
That is the starting point
Before the 31st matchday, 1. FC Köln, second to last in the table with 22 points, is in great danger of relegation. Five points are missing from the relegation place. Mainz has this with 27 points after VfL Bochum overtook Mainz with a 3-2 (2-0) win against Hoffenheim on Friday evening.
While Mainz wouldn’t be happy with a point but could live with it, for Cologne it’s an all-or-nothing game. Although relegation would not be guaranteed in the event of a bankruptcy, things would then be very tight.
31st matchday arrow right to the live ticker: Mainz 05 – FC Köln arrow right
What is the mood like at the clubs?
In Cologne it is extremely bad. FC suffered a disappointing home defeat against bottom-placed Darmstadt last week. There was only one win in the last ten games.
Mainz is completely different. The FSV has been unbeaten since the bitter 8-1 defeat at Bayern Munich. In five games there were three wins and two draws.
Why is that?
In Mainz it’s clearly the coach. When Bo Henriksen took over the 05ers after the 21st matchday, his team was nine points behind 15th place. Since the Dane has been at the helm, Borussia Dortmund have only scored two points more than Mainz, and FC Bayern have only scored one.
In Cologne, however, Timo Schultz, as Steffen Baumgart’s successor, was unable to turn things around. He took over the FC one match day before the end of the first half of the season. So far he has scored more points on average than his predecessor, but that wasn’t enough.
That’s what the coaches say
Despite the improved table position, Henriksen sees no reason to ease the relegation battle. “We have a situation in which we cannot relax. We have to keep hunting for our goal,” said the 49-year-old. The duel with 1. FC Köln is “the next final. We just want to win the game, that’s in our DNA. They’re a good team, we have a lot of respect. They’ll fight. But it’s all about us, what “We want to win, we don’t want to play for a draw.”
A mood of defiance is already spreading in Cologne. “Maybe the point has been reached right now where you can create a no-fuck mood,” said Schultz. Otherwise there are the usual slogans: “We can play better and we have to play better. If we can do that, we have a chance of winning in Mainz.”
What is the personnel situation like?
Jae-Sung Lee and Tom Krauß from Mainz will be missing due to suspension, while the appearances of Andreas Hanche-Olsen and Leandro Barreiro are still questionable.
For Cologne striker Mark Uth it won’t be enough for the starting eleven. Davie Selke and Luca Kilian are still missing with long-term injuries.
Who would be hit harder by relegation?
Clearly 1. FC Cologne. The seventh Bundesliga relegation could have dire consequences given the current transfer ban. Due to a violation of FIFA regulations when transferring Slovenian youth player Jaka Potocnik two years ago, FC is only allowed to make transfers again in the winter. This could be fatal, especially in the summer after relegation, if the club had to give up top performers.
The attackers Davie Selke and Mark Uth should not have a valid contract for the 2nd league and goalkeeper Marvin Schwäbe, the defenders Timo Hübers and Jeff Chabot and midfielder Dejan Ljubicic should have exit clauses. “It is actually the case that one or the other has a clause or no second division contract,” said sports director Christian Keller, who could only replace the potential departures with returning loan players or young talent.